Tag Archives: Budget Planning

Nearly every building in New York City has been cited at one time or another for a violation of City Code, whether it be overdue inspection reports, failure to paint pipes the required colors, or more serious issues. At Douglas Elliman Property Management, our managers constantly monitor any violations, making sure that they are corrected, and filing with the City to ensure that the correction is registered, and the violation removed.

The new Local Law 45 established a 90-day program to settle outstanding violation judgments, allowing buildings to receive reductions of up to 75% on any penalties and removal of all interest due.

DEPM has retained the law firm of Cohen Hochman & Allen to review any outstanding violations on all of our client buildings, and determine the reduced violations due. This service is at zero cost to our clients; CH&A receives ten percent of the reduction as their fee. CH&A is working with SiteCompli to ensure that all of our client properties are analyzed to receive the maximum reduction in violation fees.

The Amnesty period runs through December 12, 2016, which means that all requests for reduced penalties and interest must be submitted by that date. Properties then have six months to certify that the violation has been corrected. If you have any questions about the Amnesty program, please contact your property manager, call us at 212-370-9200 or visit the NYC Department of Finance web page at bit.ly/LL45Amnesty.

By filing with the City before the December 12 deadline, your property could save up to 75% on violations fines and interest payments.

It has been over two years since DEPM has implemented our online resident payment portal and the response has been dramatic and positive. Over 99% of our buildings have enrolled and are using the system, and we have achieved an overall usage rate of close to 30% of all residents with a monthly dollar volume of over $27 million.

To recap the specifics of the program, residents who enroll in this optional plan can easily pay their rent, maintenance, common charges or any outstanding balance with an electronic check or a credit card payment through a secure website. Residents can set up
recurring payments as well as make onetime payments at any time. If payment is made by credit card, the 2.5% service fee charged by and paid directly to the credit card company is paid by the resident. In addition, residents are able to view their account balance and payment history online. If a resident’s transaction is unable to be processed due to insufficient funds, they will be charged a $5 fee. The standard fee to your property for this service is $50 per month.

Going forward we would like to partner with our Boards to encourage and increase the usage and adoption rate and feel that increased penetration would benefit all parties. The certainty and expediency of online collection not only improves your building’s cash flow but also allows residents to plan accordingly for their monthly obligations. If you would like
specific usage and payment rates for your property please reach out to your Account Executive for that confidential information. Over the next few months we will be communicating with residents through email, bill insertion pamphlets and flyers that can be displayed in building lobbies to encourage participation. If you feel that your building needs a more personal touch, please reach out to us at rentpayment@ellimanpm.com and inquire about a possible lobby event that could be hosted by DEPM to help new users sign up or to answer any questions.